Herbalife (NYSE:HLF) Hits New 52-Week High – Time to Buy?

Herbalife Ltd (NYSE:HLF)’s share price reached a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Wednesday . The stock traded as high as $17.20 and last traded at $17.2230, with a volume of 148671 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $16.93.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms recently weighed in on HLF. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Herbalife in a research note on Wednesday, October 8th. Mizuho set a $13.00 price target on shares of Herbalife and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 8th. Maxim Group assumed coverage on shares of Herbalife in a research report on Tuesday, January 6th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $20.00 price objective for the company. Wall Street Zen raised Herbalife from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, November 28th. Finally, Argus set a $15.00 target price on Herbalife in a research note on Wednesday, November 26th. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $15.80.

Herbalife Stock Performance

The firm has a market capitalization of $1.76 billion, a P/E ratio of 5.45 and a beta of 0.82. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $13.17 and its 200 day moving average is $10.57.

Herbalife (NYSE:HLF) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, November 5th. The company reported $0.50 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.46 by $0.04. The firm had revenue of $1.27 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.27 billion. Herbalife had a negative return on equity of 29.84% and a net margin of 6.47%.The company’s revenue was up 4.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $0.57 EPS. As a group, research analysts expect that Herbalife Ltd will post 1.57 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Herbalife news, Director Lynda Cloud purchased 17,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, November 18th. The stock was bought at an average cost of $8.97 per share, with a total value of $152,490.00. Following the purchase, the director directly owned 38,857 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $348,547.29. The trade was a 77.78% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Over the last three months, insiders purchased 18,200 shares of company stock worth $167,938. Corporate insiders own 1.73% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. lifted its position in Herbalife by 8.9% during the 4th quarter. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. now owns 16,488 shares of the company’s stock worth $213,000 after buying an additional 1,351 shares in the last quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC increased its position in shares of Herbalife by 7.0% in the fourth quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 14,176 shares of the company’s stock valued at $200,000 after acquiring an additional 933 shares during the last quarter. CIBC Private Wealth Group LLC raised its holdings in Herbalife by 0.7% during the third quarter. CIBC Private Wealth Group LLC now owns 437,119 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,689,000 after acquiring an additional 2,908 shares in the last quarter. Tweedy Browne Co LLC boosted its position in Herbalife by 104.1% during the third quarter. Tweedy Browne Co LLC now owns 44,136 shares of the company’s stock valued at $373,000 after purchasing an additional 22,508 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Advisory Services Network LLC bought a new position in Herbalife in the third quarter valued at approximately $65,000.

About Herbalife

Herbalife Nutrition Ltd. (NYSE: HLF) operates as a global multi-level marketing company specializing in weight-management, nutritional supplement, sports nutrition and personal care products. Its portfolio includes protein shakes, vitamins, energy and fitness supplements, hydration products and skin and hair care items, all formulated to support wellness, performance and healthy living. Products are manufactured in GMP-certified facilities to ensure consistent quality and safety standards.

Founded in 1980 by Mark R.